Finance is usually obtained through a pharmaceutical wholesaler or a bank. With the former, the buyer’s discretion to purchase stock cost-effectively from a variety of suppliers will be fettered, as the wholesaler will require as a condition of providing the finance that significant levels of stock are purchased from it.

A bank’s security is established through either a debenture over the buyer’s assets (if the buyer is operating through a limited company) or a charge over the business premises, possibly supported by a personal guarantee and/or a second charge over the buyer’s home.